Sectional door construction



June 19, 1951 w. R. MITCHELL 2,557,753

' SECTIONAL DooR CONSTRUCTION 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Nov, 4, 1946 di m 4 EgZ INVENTOR.

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W. R. MITCHELL SECTIONAL DOOR CONSTRUCTION June 19, 1951 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Nov. 4, 1946 INVENTolL m4995049 Mu/Eu Patented June 19, 1951 SECTIONAL DOOR CONSTRUCTION Wilfred R. Mitchell, East Detroit, Mich., assignor to Crawford Door Company, Detroit, Mich., a

corporation of Michigan Application November/1, 1946, Serial No. 707,639

3 Claims.

This invention relates to a door construction suitable for garage door installations and the like.

Specically the invention deals with a lightweight metal sectional garage door.

According to this invention, sheet metal, such as aluminum, is rolled into door sections or panels containing stiffening or rigidifying beads and top and bottom flanges. End strips are riveted or otherwise secured to the back'faces of the rolled metal sections. These end strips have an offset or recessed portion secured to the back face of the rolled metal section so that the main face or front wall of the strip will project into flush relationship with the outer extremities of the beads thereby closing any gaps that would normally occur because of these rolled bead portions. The end strips present a fiat end face to have sealing engagement with weatherstrips carried on the door jambs. So-called hat section beams or channels with outturned flanges are riveted or otherwise secured at spaced intervals across the back or inner face of the door sections to further rigidify the sections.

In the multi-sectional garage doors of this invention the rolled door sections are made in convenient panel heights and are hinged together by means of leaf hinges that are riveted or otherwise secured to the hat beams or channels. The

top and bottom edges of the rolled sections preferably have offset portions to mesh with each other and form a weatherstrip when the sections are disposed in aligned vertical relationship. The end strips for such sections have roller studs secured therein and rollers on these studs support the door from trackways.

A feature of the invention resides in the utilization of simple rolled sheet metal parts and inexpensive end strips to provide a rigid self-sustaining door assembly.

Another feature of the invention is the provision of rigidifying end strips for sheet metal door sections that have projections such as beads thereon whereby the strips cover the open ends of the beads and present flat faces for sealing engagement with weatherstrips or the like.

An object of the invention is to provide a lightweight rigid metal door suitable for garage doors and the like.

A further object of the invention is to provide an all-metal sectional door construction built up of rolled aluminum or other metal sheets, end strips, and reinforcing channels.

A still further object of the invention is to provide a sectional garage door construction wherein end strips carry roller supports, rigidify the Y door sections, and close up gaps that would otherwise occur between the door sections and the doorway.

Other and further features and objects of the invention will be apparent to those skilled in the art from the following detailed description of the annexed sheets of drawings which, by way of a preferred example only, illustrate one embodiment of the invention.

As shown on the drawings:

Figure l is an inside elevational view of a sectional garage door according to this invention.

Figure 2 is an outside elevational view of one of the door sections of the door shown in Figure 1.

Figure 3 is a vertical cross-sectional view, taken along the line III- III of Figure l and also showing in dotted lines a tilted position of a door section.

Figure 4 is a horizontal cross-sectional view taken along the line IV-IV of Figure 1.

Figure 5 is a horizontal cross-sectional view taken along the line V-V of Figure 1, and with a stud portion in section.

Figure 6 is a vertical cross-sectional view taken along the line VI-VI of Figure l.

Figure 7 is an end elevational view of one of the rolled metal sheets for a door section according to this invention.

As shown on the drawings:

In Figure 1, the reference numeral l@ designates a sectional garage door of the upward acting type composed of four substantially identical sections il. As is known, such sectional garage doors are guided by rollers on trackways from a closed vertical doorway closing position to an overhead horizontal open position.

Each door section l l is composed of a rolled or otherwise formed metal sheet i2, end channels or strips I3, i3, and rigidifying or stiffening hat section beams or channels i4 at spaced intervals along the inner face of the metal sheet. Three vertical beams or channels Ill are shown. Rivets connect the strips and beams or channels to the sheet metal, but it should be understood that other forms of fasteners, including welded bonds, could be used.

Leaf hinges l5 connect the adjoining sections Il in articulate relationship, and roller axles i6 carried by the end channels or strips i3 project laterally outwardly therefrom for receiving rollers which ride in the tracks to support the door.

As best shown in Figure 7, the rolled sheet metal panel I2 has a pair of adjacent beads I2a formed therein longitudinally across the middle portion thereof. These beads I2a are conveniently formed by rollers acting on a flat metal sheet such as, for example, an aluminum sheet. The panel I2 has a top bead |21) rolled therein along the upper portion thereof. A bottom bead |2c is also rolled into the sheet alongy the bottoni portion thereof. These top and bottom or outer beads I 2b and I2C are conveniently rolled into the metal sheet after the center beads have been formed. A recess R1 is then rolled in the sheet in spaced relation outwardly from the top bead I2b. A second recess Rz is then rolled in the sheet immediately adjacent the bottom .bead |20. Flanges are then turned up at the top and bottom ends of the sheet, and these flanged ends are next bent back to provide top and bottom walls. The nished panel thus has stepped .top and bottom walls with inturned end flanges. The top wall has a portion Id extending rearwardly from the bead Ib to an inclined shoulder |26 which slopes upwardly and backwardly to a horizontal end wall portion If at a higher level than the portion IEd. A flange IZg extends downwardly at right angles to the wall portion lf. rihe recess R1 provides the shoulder I'Ze and the wall portion I2f at a raised level relative to the wall portion I2d.

The bottom wall has a horizontal wall portion |2h extending rearwardly from the bead I2C to an upwardly and rearwardly inclined shoulder |22 which extends to a horizontal wall |27' at a level above the wall I2h. A flange |27: extends vertically upward from the inner end of the wall Ilj in alignment with the flange |29.

The panel I2 thus has adjacent parallel beads extending longitudinally across the mid-portion thereof together with longitudinal beads along the top and bottom ends thereof. Th se beads project outwardly from the outer face of the panel. The panel has stepped horizontal end walls with inturned vertical end flanges. The

.stepped portions of the end walls are complementary so that two adjacent panels can have their end walls in full seating engagement as best shown in Figure 3.

As best shown in Figures 5 and 6, the end strips I3 for the panel I2 have back anges or walls ita overlying the inner faces .of the panel flanges |29 and I2k and secured thereto by means of rivets I'I. These back walls Ita extend laterally outward from the outer edges of the panels I2 and have flat side faces or walls I3?) parallel to the outer edges of the panel in spaced outward relation therefrom, as best shown in Figure 5. ri'he side walls |313 extend forwardly from the back walls I3a beyond the front face of the panels i2 to a front face or wall |30 that is flush with the outer extremities of the beads IM, I2b, and I2C. These front faces I2C extend inwardly from the side walls |31) to flanges ltd which snugly against the ends of the beads and extend rearwardly behind the panel face to walls I3e which underlap the back faces of the panels and are riveted to the panels by means of rivets I8. In order to further stiflen the assembly, these walls I3e have inturned flanges ISf thereon.

Theend strips I3 are thus riveted to the outer faces of the panel flanges I2g and Ii and to the inside face of the main portion of the panel sheet. These strips extend outwardly from the outer edges or sides of `the panel to present solid end walls |317 and flat front faces |30 flush with the outer extremities of the beads I2c. These front panel.

4 faces I3c are adapted to sealingly abut weatherstrips carried by the door jambs of the doorway in which the door operates (not shown) As shown in Figure 6, the ends of the strips I 3, such as the illustrated top end, terminate at a level intermediate the levels of the panel top walls I2d and I2 f so that the strips can have flat ends which are brought into abutting engagement when adjacent panels have their respective top and bottom walls in interntting relationship, as shown in Figure 3. This arrangement avoids the necessity for trimming the end strips I3 into flush relationship with the stepped top and bottom walls of the panel. Identical end strips can thus be used for all of the panels.

`.The roller axles I6 are carried in the upper ends of the strips I3 and, as shown in Figures 5 and 6, project through the strips and through a reinforcing plate IS riveted to the inner face of the strip wall |31) by means of a rivet such as 20. The axle IQ has a shoulder I'a bottomed on the outer face of -the strip wall |32; together with a reduced-diameter portion I?) extending through this outer wall and through the plate IU. The reduced-diameter portion is then spread or rivetpeened as at Iilc to provide a head for locking the axle in position.

rfhe hat section bea-ins or channels ifi are provided to reinforce the panels i2, and are spaced at intervals across the length of the panels. These channels Irl, as shown in Figures l and 2, include a center channel at the transverse center of each panel, and another channel between the center channel and each end of thc All of the channels are vertical er transverse to the longitudinal axis of the panel. Each channel includes, as best shown in Figure Il, a web portion 54a, side walls I lib, illb, and outturned flanges ille, ille. The side walls Ifib have sizilicient width to position the web ita into flush mating engagement inside of the panel flanges lg and Z/lc when the channel flanges Ille are bottomed on the panel. Thus, as shown in Figures l and 4, the channel web ifla fits inside ci" the panel flanges |29' and llc. The channel flanges idc are bottomed on the inner face of the panel i2 and are secured thereto by means of rivets 25. As shown in Figure 3. the ends of the channels terminate substantially flush with the panel walls |265 and |271 The hinges i5 are secured to the panel flanges 2g and 52k and to the channel web Ita. Thus,

b ge I 5 includes a leaf 55a, best shown ir. igures 3 and 4, overlying the panel flange ifk in nm nt with a channel web Ella and riveted o both the flange and channel by means oi rivets rlhe hinge .includes a matingr leal E51; overlying the flange I2g in alignment with the web Ifla of the adjacent channel Id and riveted thereto by means ofsimilar rivets The leaves |50. and are connected by means of a pintle idc. As shown in Figure l, a hinge is provided between each aligned channel Ill so that each door section is joined with its adjacent section by means of three hinges.

From the above descriptions it will be clear that this invention now provides rigid, lightweight door constructions especially useful for upward acting sectional-type garage doors.

lt will, of course, be understood that various details of construction may be varied through a wide range without departing from the principles of this invention and it is, therefore, not the .purpose to limit the patent granted hereon 5 otherwise than necessitated by the scope of the appended claims.

I claim as my invention:

1. A door construction comprising a sheet metal panel having outturned stiffening beads along the top and bottom ends thereof and intermediate said ends, said panel having rearu wardly extending top and bottom walls with inturned end flanges, side strips for said panel havn ing rear anges overlying said inturned end flanges, side walls spaced outwardly from the side edges of the panel, front walls flush with the outer extremities of the beads, shoulders, covering the ends of the beads and flanges overlapping the inner face of the panel, rivets scour-- ing the flanges of said strips to the panel and to the panel flanges, and reinforcing beams riveted to the inner face of the panel between said strips.

2. A panel for a door construction comprising a rolled sheet metal strip having outturned spaced parallel adjoining beads extending longitudinally thereof intermediate the top and bottom thereof, beads parallel with said rst mentioned beads at the top and bottom of the panel, and inwardly extending stepped horizontal Walls at the top and bottom of the panel with in', turned end flanges, side strips for the panel hav ing stepped front faces including portions flush with the outer extremities of the beads and portions underlying the inner face of the pane? together with shoulders connecting the portions for covering the ends of the beads, and means REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the le of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,410,539 Wine Mar. 21, 1922 1,508,886 Dautrick et al Sept. 16, 1924 1,621,669 Johnson Mar. 22, 1927 2,061,304 Graham Nov. 17, 1936 2,164,448 Cohen July 4, 1939 2,200,240 Gilpin May 14, 1940 2,391,845 Rowe Dec. 25, 1945 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 514,689 France 1921 

